[Step 1: Contextual Analysis]
Literary genre: This appears to be a Chinese xianxu/cultivation web novel with supernatural elements and a historical/fantasy setting.
Language style: Informal, with narrative prose and dialogue. Contains some supernatural elements and cultivation/martial arts terminology.
Tone: Mysterious, somewhat dark at times, with elements of suspense, especially in the ghost story portion.
Plot keywords: Cultivation, revenge, carriage driver, actress, mysterious illness, ghost story
Characters:
- Wu Liangchen (武良辰): Male protagonist, a carriage driver who seems to have either been reincarnated or has memories of a "previous self"
- Yang Hu (杨虎): Male antagonist who caused the protagonist's previous illness
- Yang Lian'Er (杨莲儿): Female, a famous actress in Dinghai City who the protagonist drives for
- Aunt Fan (樊姨): Female, a mysterious powerful figure who accompanies Yang Lian'Er
- Sister Hu (胡姐): Female, appears to be someone the protagonist knows, possibly in the market
- Yuan Er (袁二): Male, someone the protagonist gets his carriage from
[Step 2: Integrated Translation and Polishing]
Let me begin the translation process, following the guidelines strictly:
The text describes Wu Liangchen's thoughts about his previous illness and his relationship with Yang Lian'Er. He realizes Yang Hu was behind his illness simply because he was driving Yang Lian'Er around. Wu Liangchen sees an opportunity in working as Yang Lian'Er's driver despite the risks, as he needs access to cultivation techniques. The story then follows his morning routine and his time at a tea stall where he overhears gossip, including a ghost story about another carriage driver.
I'll now produce the full translation, being careful to use all the glossary terms correctly and follow the formatting rules:
Wu Liangchen had imagined many possibilities for his predecessor's inexplicable serious illness.
He even suspected he might have once seduced Yang Hu's daughter, otherwise why would there be such great hostility toward him?
The reality turned out to be even more ridiculous than he had imagined.
This Yang Hu actually harbored deep resentment and took action against him simply because he drove carriages for Yang Lian'Er and had relatively close contact with her.
After deducing this conclusion, Wu Liangchen couldn't help but be completely dumbfounded.
Obviously, this Yang Hu must be an obsessive fan of Yang Lian'Er, even a fanatical one.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have done something so outrageous.
The pitiful predecessor had suffered this undeserved calamity under baffling circumstances.
Of course, if you asked whether his predecessor liked Yang Lian'Er, the answer would definitely be yes.
After all, when seeing Yang Lian'Er, the residual memories and impulses of his predecessor couldn't lie.
But the present Wu Liangchen was no longer that naive and innocent predecessor.
So for this famous actress of Dinghai City, Wu Liangchen not only had no desire to get close to her but preferred to keep a respectful distance.
The reason was simple: this Yang Lian'Er was definitely no ordinary woman.
Anyone who could gain fame in a place as chaotic as Dinghai City and remain safe and popular until now had to be more than just a performer.
This was evident from the mysterious Aunt Fan by her side.
Although this Aunt Fan didn't talk much, Wu Liangchen could feel a strong sense of pressure from her.
That's why when she told him to be Yang Lian'Er's carriage driver, Wu Liangchen could only agree.
Of course, since he had accepted the job, looking at it from a different angle, this could also be a rare opportunity.
After all, what he lacked most right now was a gateway to martial arts.
If he could obtain even a single Cultivation Technique, with the deductions of the Ten Thousand Laws Tripod, Wu Liangchen would be able to gradually grow stronger.
Unfortunately, in this world where almost all resources were monopolized by the upper class, this opportunity was extremely distant for someone at the bottom of society.
So distant it was almost impossible.
As for this Yang Hu... when he had the ability, he would definitely kill him!
Wu Liangchen organized all his thoughts and then fell into a deep sleep.
The next day proceeded as usual. He first went to Yuan Er's home to get his carriage, then headed to South City's market.
Yang Lian'Er had told him not to come too early, as she wouldn't wake up until at least after lunch.
So during this morning period, Wu Liangchen had time to himself.
But he didn't go looking for passengers, after all, both he and the carriage had been hired exclusively, so secretly taking other fares would be dishonest.
Carrying some goods on the side, however, wasn't a problem.
Not for the money, but to become familiar with the people at the Long Wind Martial Arts Hall.
Unfortunately, Sister Hu had no deliveries for the Long Wind Martial Arts Hall today, so Wu Liangchen politely declined her enthusiastic invitation. After leaving with his carriage, he found a tea stall and dozed off.
People in Dinghai City loved tea, possibly because of the city's water quality.
Being close to the ocean meant that well water in Dinghai City was bitter and salty. To make it drinkable, tea had become an essential part of life for the people there.
The difference was that wealthy people went to high-end teahouses and drank quality tea leaves costing a hundred or so copper coins per tael.
Ordinary folks went to street-side tea stalls and mostly drank broken tea leaves for two or three copper coins per bowl.
If they could add a packet of white sugar, that was considered extremely luxurious.
But this didn't diminish the liveliness of tea stalls. In fact, due to the low prices, many people would stay for the entire day, which didn't bother the stall owners.
After all, only crowded tea stalls attracted more customers; empty ones weren't really tea stalls anymore.
Previously, Wu Liangchen would buy a bowl of tea, finish it, and leave.
But today he had some free time, so he ordered a bowl of jasmine broken tea and a plate of fried snacks, eating and listening to the discussions in the tea stall.
The people drinking tea here might not have many copper coins in their pockets, but their information was definitely first-rate.
After sitting there for a short while, Wu Liangchen learned which mansion's lady in East City was having an affair with the steward, and which master in West City had been caught by his wife in an inappropriate relationship with his daughter-in-law—essentially Dinghai City's tabloid news.
While Wu Liangchen was enjoying these gossips, a certain conversation suddenly caught his attention.
The speaker had thick arms, and his cloth shoes had thickened soles, clearly another rickshaw puller.
He gulped down a large bowl of tea, wiped his mouth, and then said in a deep voice, "Everyone, what you've been talking about isn't interesting. Let me tell you something you definitely don't know about, and it's absolutely true—happened just last night."
"What is it?" someone eagerly asked.
"My friend works as a carriage driver at the Lu Shun Carriage Company, and something strange happened at their company yesterday."
At this point, his tone became mysterious, "Someone was pulling a carriage at midnight and ended up carrying a ghost!"
People in Dinghai City loved hearing about strange and unusual things, which explained why theaters and bookhouses were so popular.
Therefore, upon hearing his words, the tea stall immediately fell silent, with everyone, including Wu Liangchen, pricking up their ears.
The man was clearly satisfied with everyone's reaction. He first built up suspense, steadily took a sip of his tea, and then continued.
"My friend said the carriage driver who encountered the ghost was a newcomer, only three months into the job. Last night he was about to finish work when he got one more fare, from South City to the Three-Mile Pavilion outside the city."
"At the time, this driver thought it was strange, wondering why someone would go outside the city so late at night. He was worried it might be a robbery. But since the customer was alone and female, and the fare offered was high, the driver decided to take the job to earn the money, albeit reluctantly."
"At first, everything seemed normal, but as he continued, the driver felt something was wrong. The carriage seemed to be getting heavier and heavier, not at all like the weight of a single woman."
"What's worse, after leaving the city, the driver's back started feeling cold. Despite the hot weather, he was covered in goosebumps."
"By now, the driver was really panicking, but he didn't dare look back. He could only continue nervously toward their destination. When they finally arrived at the Three-Mile Pavilion, he stopped and tremblingly told the customer they had arrived, but there was no response from behind, and no one got off."
"This made the driver even more frightened. Anyone would be scared in such a desolate place. So he pleaded tearfully for a while, but the passenger remained completely silent. Finally, with no other choice, the driver steeled himself to look back, and guess what he saw?"
This man had good storytelling skills, creating a very eerie atmosphere that captivated everyone in the tea stall.
"What did he see? Hurry up and tell us!" someone urged impatiently.
The carriage driver's face had also turned somewhat pale, and he said in a slightly fearful tone, "He saw that the woman who had boarded the carriage had no facial features at all—just a bare, featureless lump of flesh."